Unexpected
by Lorelai Love Spencer-Meraz
Summary: Isabelle walked away from the WWE, determined to never come back. But a phone call proves that life has other plans. Will she be able to confront her turbulent past and the hurdles her return is sure to bring, or will she be forced to run again?
1. The Phone Call

**A/N: I hope you enjoy my first story! Please note (as I shall ONLY say it ONCE) I own my original characters ONLY! Everyone else in the WWE is owned by themselves and Vince McMahon (gimmicks, trademarks, you get the idea). Reviews=LOVE, so please leave some...ENJOY! *PLEASE NOTE: This is a *mainly* T story, but I am rating it T-M for language in future chapters, although it will be kept at a minimum, I promise!*  
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_All she heard was him screaming her name. She tried desperately to drown him out as she ran through the airport, her heels clacking on the linoleum as Chavo ran beside her, ready to protect her if anything went down. The gate was only a few yards away; if she could just make it to the gate, she would be okay._

_By some miracle of God, she managed to outrun Adam and made it to the gate. She handed her boarding pass to the stewardess, and she hugged Chavo goodbye, promising to call as soon as she landed. As she made her way to board the plane, she heard Adam scream her name one more time, agonized and desperate. She turned to look back at him one last time and a tear rolled down her cheek as she finally turned away from him. Forever._

Isabelle tossed and turned on her couch, caught in the deep throws of the memory of the day that she'd ended her relationship with Adam. As she tossed once more, the shrill ring of her cell phone brought her out of the nightmare. Isabelle woke with a start, not wanting to believe that she was hearing that ringtone. That particular ring had been reserved for her friend and former boss, Vickie Guerrero. _It can't be_. For the first time in quite awhile, she was nervous about picking up the phone. What could Vickie possibly want? After all, they hadn't spoken at all since Isabelle's hurried departure two months before.

Isabelle looked at the phone, which was now vibrating across the coffee table, and debated on letting the machine take the call. As the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but scold herself. She couldn't ignore Vickie anymore; Vickie had always been there when she needed her. Sighing, she quickly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello stranger! Haven't heard from you in forever!" said Vickie, relief and happiness lacing her voice. "How are you?"

"I'm…uh…I'm good. How about you? How are the girls?" asked Isabelle, trying to mask the sudden nervous bug that had taken over her. _Calm down!_ Quickly, she forced herself back into the conversation.

"The girls are great, busy with school. And I'm busier than ever, now that I've switched brands and all. Lucky for me, Chavo's there, so he can help. Guess what, sweetie?"

Isabelle hated surprises, and she knew that. Isabelle sucked in a breath. "Vickie, this better be good, because you know how I hate surprises."

On the other end of the phone, Vickie chuckled. "Yes, yes, I know! You hate surprises, they're a heart attack in a box. But I promise you this one is a good one. Have you been keeping up with WWE?" Isabelle was shocked into silence. What was a good excuse to give her former boss, aside from her whole, embarrassing, disgusting story? After quite a silence, Vickie said, "I guess you haven't," with an undertone of what very well could be sadness. "Anyway," she continued, "In the newest storyline, Edge and Big Show are both vying for my affection. In last week's match, they knocked me out in the ring, thereby giving me a relatively easy week and a chance to take an early weekend. So…I'm coming to visit Orlando. And a trip just wouldn't be complete without seeing you! What do you say? Can we meet up?"

It took all of her willpower for Isabelle not to say no. After all, what harm could it do? Vickie was one of her greatest friends, after all. Besides, she _did_ owe her that much; she'd left Vickie without a trace, no explanations, nothing, until a week after she had settled in Florida, and even then, they had been a load of vague and transparent bullshit about wanting to settle down more. So, they arranged to meet at a tapas bar in the downtown Orlando area on Thursday. When the conversation was over, Isabelle couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to regret this meeting. She shook her head and headed for her closet. If she was going to meet with Vickie, she had to look her best.  
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Two days later, Isabelle was seated on a bench outside of the Olé Tapas Bar putting the final touches on her makeup and making sure everything was perfect.

"Oh my goodness!" she heard as she glanced in the mirror one last time. Isabelle quickly turned and sucked in a breath as she laid eyes on Vickie.

"Hi Vickie! You look great," she said, rising to give Vickie a hug. As she held her friend, she couldn't help but feel a wave of bittersweet joy. She'd forgotten what Vickie's hugs were like, and it felt amazing to have her best friend with her.

"Thanks, so do you!" Vickie said, pulling away from her and looking her over. "My God, Florida has been good to you. Wow!"

Isabelle blushed. "Thank you." She grabbed her purse from the bench and walked into the restaurant with Vickie. Lucky for them, they had arrived after the lunch rush, so the restaurant was pretty empty, save for maybe two or three occupied tables. They were quickly led to a private booth toward the back of the restaurant. As the women slid into the booth, and ordered a drink from a sun-kissed waiter who had a thick Spanish accent, they started to chat.

"So, how are you liking Orlando?" asked Isabelle, gingerly picking up a slice of garlic bread and taking a bite.

"It's really good. Shaul and Sherrilynn are loving it. And I'm taking them to Disney tomorrow, so Sherri is really excited. Shaul keeps saying she's too old for Disney, but I know her…she's secretly dying to go," she responded, taking a sip of the Coke that the waiter had placed in front of her. "But theme parks and relaxation were not the only reasons I came here, Belle."

Isabelle tried to keep her face calm and collected. Inside, though, her organs had twisted into several complicate knots. Vickie never did anything without a purpose. And judging from her former boss' tone, it was a serious purpose. "What _does_ bring you here, Vic?"

"You do. I need your help, Belle."

Isabelle arched an eyebrow, urging Vickie to continue with her eyes as she picked up her glass to take a sip of her Sprite. "I need you to come back to Smackdown!"


	2. Say What?

**A/N: Hello Readers! Enjoy the second Ch. of Unexpected. As you know, I only own the OC's....PLEASE NOTE: This chapter contains some strong language, and I apologize if it offends...I assume that we can all deal with that, and I honestly think it was necessary to accentuate the gravity of the situation. Please don't kill me, and as always, reviews=LOVE  
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At this, Isabelle choked on the liquid in her mouth, which had gone from light and fizzy to an out of control wildfire in her mouth, burning her throat as she forced it down to avoid spitting it out. "You want me to…?" It took her a moment to register what had been said, and as soon as she did, she shook her head. But before she could protest, Vickie held up her hand.

"Just…before you say anything, would you just hear me out?" Isabelle pressed a napkin to her lips and nodded. "Now, I am slated to move to Raw soon…I made that decision weeks ago when Stephanie first took time off. Because of that, Teddy Long is going to be taking my place and he's going to leave his assistant to be the interim General Manager of ECW. As such, that leaves Teddy without an assistant. For me, that's not really that big a deal," Vickie said with a glance in her direction, reminding her of two months ago. "But Teddy's different. He definitely needs a right hand man or woman. And he remembers you, and how good you were. So rather than go through all the bullshit of trying to hire someone and try to get them as up to par as you are, Teddy, after running it past Vince, begged me to come down here and try and get you back."

Isabelle was shocked; she knew that most on the WWE knew her as Vickie's super girl assistant, but she had no idea that other managers wanted her. And she couldn't believe the request. More importantly, she couldn't believe how much she'd hurt Vickie. That glance had said it all. _I wish I'd told her...maybe then, things wouldn't be so awkward now. _She sneakily put her hands under the table to stop her leg from bouncing up and down (as they always did when she was nervous) and sucked in a breath.

"Vickie…you know I love you. And you know that I would do damn near anything for you. But…I can't go back there. I've left WWE behind me…and I need to find something else for myself."

Rather than respond, Vickie looked through the menu, deciding that she'd better think fully about what she was going to say, otherwise it could go horribly wrong. After she'd settled on a quesadilla, she closed her menu, focusing on its leather binding. Several minutes later, she looked up from the binding, smirking inside. _I got it!_ Vickie fixed Isabelle (who was still looking at the menu) with a laser like, yet approving stare. After a few minutes, Isabelle looked up. "What?" she asked, with her eyebrow arched.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Vickie. _Almost…_

"Bull, Vick. What's on your mind?" _Just where I wanted her_, thought Vickie.

"You really want to know?" Belle nodded, but before Vickie could answer, they were interrupted by the waiter. He quickly took their orders and retired their menus with a bright smile, promising to refill their half empty glasses on his return. As soon as he left, Vickie continued. "You know what I always loved about you? You're the real deal…not one thing about you is fake. You've got…passion. And that's what always made you the best at what you did, Belle." She sighed. "That's what I miss the most. Nowadays…all you get are either these smartasses who are just in it for the money and couldn't give a damn about me or the superstars, or these new rookies who are just barely hanging on to what they learned in college and don't last but a month."

Isabelle snorted. "That's because they're star-struck and can't wait to do the shrieking or fainting when they get home," she said, looking into Vickie's eyes. Isabelle knew that she was thinking of the one time when professionalism had failed her at the very start of her career with the WWE. "Not a word!" she said to her best friend, cocking her eyebrow, daring her to say anything about the incident. Vickie just smiled. "Seriously, though. I always loved doing it. The energy, the excitement, even the people." The tiniest flicker of a memory of the nightmare from earlier in the week flashed through her head. "For the most part," she added, darkly.

Vickie glanced in her direction. "There's always going to be a dark side, honey. But anyway, how's life here? Are you enjoying it?" _Take it slow. You don't want to push her into closing down. _

At that moment, the food arrived. As they ate, they discussed every aspect of Isabelle's new life: her new home, the tedious process of getting her stuff to the house, the shopping, and even the embarrassing things that had happened on her first few nights there.

"You've got to be kidding me, Isabelle!" Vickie said, with a laugh. "The neighbor had to come and check on you?"

Isabelle laughed, and raised her hands in mock self defense. "Hey, what can I say? It was a freakin' huge bug, Vick!"

"And where are you working now? I'm sure you're blowing them away with your amazing abilities," Vickie said, timidly. _I hope God that the question doesn't close her down. Please, God, don't let her close down on me! I need her._

Isabelle took a long, uncomfortable look at Vickie, squirming in her seat. _Should I just keep her in the dark? No! Isabelle, carajo, man up. You're already a liar as it is; don't make it worse._ She squirmed again and put a strand of her long, auburn hair behind her ear. "Actually, Vick…I'm not working. I mean, the job market sucks everywhere. But here? It's like trying to find a needle in not _one_ haystack but _ten_."

Vickie looked at her, with a mixture of shock and concern. "How the hell do you get by?"

Isabelle shifted again. "Savings, babysitting on weekends for my neighbor. Whatever I can." This last part she added at a whisper. At that very moment, sadness and guilt had taken over her. If she had just done like every other normal person in the world and moved past it and stayed, she wouldn't be scrambling to maintain her credit as good as it was. How she'd managed it was a miracle. "Not the most ideal situation," she continued. "But I have faith. I think I'll make it." _I have to._

Vickie sighed and reached for Isabelle's hand. "Belle…look, I know that if anyone can make it, you certainly can, for the reasons I gave you before. But you need to be realistic, sweetheart. How long do you think the savings can last?" At that, Isabelle tensed. "You should come back, Belle. It's stable…it's what you love. And you'd have a very good salary. The salary you had when you left."

_Vickie's right. I'm already starting to feel the drowning. And Lord knows I can't afford to sink. Maybe I should…I mean, it's really tempt…NO! I can't…I can't go back…I can't face him!_

"Vickie, I…have my reasons. I just can't go back there…" she said, looking down at her now empty plate. Vickie let go of her hand and asked quietly, "This wouldn't have anything to do with your split with Adam, would it?"

Isabelle's head snapped up. _What the fuck? How in the hell did she know about…? The only ones who knew were Jeff, who would never say anything and… _"Chavo, damnit!" she swore. Her face contorted into a frown; she had sworn him and Jeff to secrecy. And as much as she loved Chavo, she knew he cracked under pressure and he was worse than her chatty hair stylist when it came to rumors. Vickie saw her face, and quickly grabbed her hand.

"Before you jump to anything, you need to know, Chavo didn't tell me anything at all. I found out by accident." When Isabelle's brow furrowed, she elaborated. "I was going to the male locker room, and I heard shouting. When I got closer to the door, which was slightly open, I heard Adam and Chavo."

_FLASHBACK_

_Vickie sighed as she headed down to the locker room. It was just like Adam to blow off going over a promo, especially for this storyline. She didn't like it either, but it was the storyline or her job, and seeing as how she liked the latter, she went along with it. If she didn't find him in the locker room, she didn't know where else she'd look; everyone was either in catering, the ring, or backstage. He HAD to be here._

_As she got closer to the door, which was a bit ajar, she heard Adam shouting at…Chavo? Usually those two never fought; He and Eddie had a close friendship with Adam that she never understood. Curious, she stepped to the door._

"_Why the hell won't you just TELL me where she is?" Adam shouted. "She's my girlfriend, and I fucking deserve to know!"_

"_What you deserve is a good beating that leaves you within an inch of your life! And I think she made it pretty clear that she would rather go through a surgery without anesthesia than to call herself your girlfriend after that stunt you pulled!" Chavo countered._

_Adam let out a very loud groan of frustration. "Damnit, Chavo! That…that was a mistake…If she would just talk to me, we could work this out!"_

"_A mistake? You call a six week affair a mistake? Please…wearing mismatching socks is a mistake. Grabbing the wrong cup of coffee at Starbucks is a mistake. Being a girl's __**first**__ and then cheating on her? Not a mistake."_

_Adam sucked in a breath. "Look, Chavo…this is between me and Isabelle..."_

_Vickie sucked in a breath as she heard that. So __**that **__was why her star assistant had left, without so much as a word. She remembered how Vince had come to her and said only that Isabelle had been released from her contract and was eligible for re-hire when and if she decided to come back, leaving her a brief note from Isabelle. How Chavo had suddenly become solemn and quiet, especially around Adam. And that note. The note that was full of some bull about her needing to go handle some family issues, and that she was sorry for walking out on her true family at such short notice. She was brought out of her ever racing thoughts by the sound of someone slamming into the lockers._

"_You son of BITCH! This became more than you and Isabelle's business when I found her in her room having a nervous BREAKDOWN! You __**knew **__her values; you knew she thought you were worth compromising them because she thought you were a long term thing. And instead you betray her with some bleach blonde SLUT who visibly taunted her. She went to bat for you, risked her own fucking safety defending you, and you walked away in the most unmanly way ever known!"_

_As Vickie heard another slam, she decided to stop the fight before those two killed each other and banged on the door. _

_FLASHBACK ENDS_

Isabelle's eyes were misting over as Vickie finished. "I know you told Vince that you had a family emergency…my only question is, why not tell me?" she said softly. "I mean, I knew you were with someone…I just didn't know who. Hell, for a second, I thought you might be with Jeff."

Isabelle shifted her gaze downward. "I don't know, Vickie. I wanted to tell you; you don't know how many times I wanted to call you after a date, or just talk relationships but…I guess I just didn't want your disapproval. I mean, let's face it. You weren't exactly pissing rainbows when he flirted with me. And…well…"

"Hey." Isabelle looked up as Vickie grabbed her hand. "Would I have been happy about it? Probably not. But you're my best friend, Belle." Isabelle chuckled softly. Who knew that a 23 year old and 41 year old woman could be that close unless they were mother and daughter? "And if he made you happy, I'd have been happy for you. Now, I just might have to kill him," Vickie continued.

"Don't, Vick. He's not worth it."

"If he's what's stopping you from coming back, then it's worth it." Belle was surprised at the dark look that had overtaken her features. "Belle, it's just not right! You love what you do, and because of his actions, you run? You can't let him have that dominion over you. Especially now. Please, Belle…come home."

Isabelle looked straight into Vickie's eyes. _She's right. WWE is my home. And hell, I can't let him block me from doing what I have to do. Girl's gotta survive somehow, right? But…what if…OH! Man up, Belle! _"Okay, Vickie, you have yourself a deal."

"Do you mean that?!" Vickie asked excitedly.

"Yes, I mean it! Two things though: One, let's try and keep it under wraps for as long as possible." Vickie looked at her, with a skeptical glance. "I know that people will find out soon, even Adam. But I want to surprise them. I haven't spoken to Jeff or Chavito since I went away." Vickie laughed, and nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay," she said. "What's the other thing?"

Isabelle squirmed, something she was getting used to doing a lot. "Well, Vickie…"


	3. Oh, the Wonders of Travel!

**A/N: Hi All! Here's Ch. 3 of UNEXPECTED. You already know how it goes: OC's are mine, and nothing else. I promise, this chapter is MUCH tamer! Enjoy, and remember: reviews=Love!! So, Read and Review!  
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Sunday night had come far too quickly for Isabelle. As she ran around her condo trying to pack, she was hit with a sense of disbelief. It was only two months before that she had come here swearing off the WWE, and here she was, getting ready to go back into the proverbial snake pit. As she shoved another article of clothing into her large SpaceBag, the disbelief was slowly turning into fear. Thankfully, before the fears could grip and cripple her as they partially had at the restaurant, a knock came at the door. _Saved by the knock_, she thought as she opened the door to reveal her neighbor, Bernadette and her two year old, Darryl.

"Hi guys!" she said, ushering them inside.

"Hey, Belle," said Bernadette, placing Darryl on the floor and eyeing the living area of the condo. "Wow! Are you taking your whole closet with you?" she asked. The couch and loveseat had various articles of clothing strewn across them, and the floor had been littered with several pairs of shoes, sandals, and slippers.

"Hardly. More like doing a process of elimination. I have to travel light, at least for now. Never know when a shopping trip might come up!" she said, with a laugh.

"True! Wow…I can't believe you're actually going back there." Bernadette had been Isabelle's first friend in Orlando, and she had heard some of the horror stories of what Isabelle had been put through. Isabelle made some space for Bernadette on the sofa and cleared away a safer spot for Darryl to play, and resumed digging through the clothes.

"Well," said Isabelle, shoving another shirt into her SpaceBag. "It has its perks. And right now, I need the biggest perk, which is the salary. So, it's either that or…Darryl eventually loses his favorite babysitter because she has to go live in a box under an overpass," she said with a smile at the toddler. Upon hearing his name, Darryl stood and walked over to Isabelle, grabbing onto her leg. "Issy mine! Issy mine!" he squealed happily. Isabelle bent down and picked him up, snuggling him close. "Yes, I am! And you're mine! Right? Are you mine?" she asked him in a baby voice. As the child nodded, Isabelle gave him a kiss on the nose and giggled. "Oh, I wish I could hold him FOREVER!!" she said, with a sigh. She stared at Darryl for a moment, and then back at Bernadette, who was smiling at her.

"He's going to miss you, Belle. Hell, even I'm going to miss you," she joked.

"Gee, thanks!" said Isabelle, rolling her eyes. She spun Darryl around, and her eyes landed on the clothes. "So much more to pack!" she moaned.

"Come on then! We need to figure out what stays and what goes!" said Bernadette, grabbing some clothes.

"Oh, Bern, you don't have to…"

"I want to. Consider it my way of saying 'bon voyage!" interrupted Bernadette. And so the two women set to work.  
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Two hours and a full suitcase later, Isabelle and Bernadette had to say their goodbyes.

"I guess this is it, isn't it?" said Bernadette, looking around the condo and back at her friend. A sad smirk came over her face as she remembered the day she'd had to rescue Isabelle from a mammoth bug. It amazed her how quickly she'd grown close to Isabelle, and how much she was going to miss her friend.

"Yes…Oh, God, Bernadette, I'm going to miss you! But I'll come around every chance I get!" Isabelle said, trying to hold back her emotion. Darryl, suddenly becoming aware of what was happening, began to wail out her name and reaching out to be picked up by her, fighting against Bernadette.

"You better! Otherwise, I know of a certain toddler who will not  be happy with you." Isabelle nodded, while picking up Darryl. She held him close and bounced him a tad, while whispering soothing words to him. As she did this, Isabelle stroked his curly black hair. When he was almost asleep, she handed him back to Bernadette. "Bon voyage, Belle," Bernadette said, hugging her friend.

"Lullaby and good night," said Isabelle, hugging her back. "I'll be back before you know it." After they had walked out, Isabelle closed the door and glanced at the clock on her cable box, which read 9:30. _Well, I better get myself to bed. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be full of surprises, and I need to be ready for anything._ Quickly, she went to her room and slipped into a pair of boy-shorts and a tank top. After going through another mental checklist to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she slid under the covers. _I hope to God this isn't a mistake. Lord, if you're listening…keep me safe_. As she prayed that little prayer, she turned off the light and tried to sleep.  
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The next morning, the blaring of the alarm clock snapped Isabelle out of a dreamless sleep. She groaned as she rolled over and slapped the alarm reset button, slowly raising herself up and stretching. It was then that she got a good look at the clock, which read 5:30. _Damn it! If I'm going to make my flight, I need to MOVE! _She bolted out of bed and began to get ready, stopping only to call a cab to get her to the airport.

About 45 minutes after she'd called for the cab, it still wasn't at her house. _Where the heck is this freaking cab?! Damn, it's 6:45…I'm so going to be late, _Isabelle thought. Just as she was about to call the cab company and yell at them for not being on time, the cab pulled up.

"Thank God!" she said, wrangling her bags.

The driver, a geeky man who said his name was John, began to reel out apologies, saying he'd gotten lost and caught in traffic, along with other maladies that only seemed to affect those that were running late. After about seven minutes of rambling, Isabelle interrupted him.

"Believe me, I know how that is. I'm kind of going through that now," she said, making it a point to look at him. He fidgeted. "Listen, John, it happens to everyone. And I know it's not your fault. But I _really_ need to get to that airport. If you can get me there in 20 minutes, there's a really good tip in my purse with your name on it!"  
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Apparently, those had been the magic words, because Isabelle made it to the airport in 19 minutes, and in one piece! After giving John an extra ten dollars for obliging her, she made a mad dash to the check in counter inside the airport. Once her bags had been taken from her and she'd been given her boarding pass, Isabelle began what every traveler knows as the Airport Olympics, running from check in to security and the monorail that would take her to the gates(both of which seemed to be moving slower than semi-frozen molasses).

Once the monorail docked at the terminal, Isabelle shot out of the doors and sprinted through the terminal toward her gate. _Gate 72…gotta get to 72. 59…60…61…Damn, of all the gates in the airport, they had to choose the one that was farthest away for this flight, right? Thank God I decided __**against **__carry-on…67…68…70…where the heck was 69?...71…72! HAHA! Oh, crap, just made it!_ Isabelle quickly handed her boarding pass to the crew member that stood by the gate, an apologetic smile crossing her features. The crew member smiled an understanding smile, rushing her along down the little hallway that lead to the door of the plane. When she got to the plane's entrance, a stewardess pointed her to her seat, which was in the third row of first class. As Isabelle got settled into her seat, she muttered a quick "Our Father," ready to enjoy the calm before the storm that would be Smackdown!


	4. Arrivals and Meetings

**Thanks to Esha Napoleon for her review!! You already know the disclaimer, so blah! Here's Ch. 4...enjoy and review, because remember: Reviews=Amor.  
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"And once again, thank you for flying with American Airlines," said a stewardess over the airplane's P.A. system as the door of the plane was opened. Isabelle quickly took off her seatbelt and stood, grateful for the ability to stretch. After a few minutes, she was able to get out of her aisle seat and she made her way to the baggage claim area.

As she made her way to baggage claim, Isabelle struggled to wrap her head around the fact that she was going to be back with the WWE. It still hadn't fully hit her, and judging from the nerves that she was getting at the mere thought of it, when it did hit her, it wasn't going to be pretty.

It seemed that Lady Luck was on Isabelle's side. A few minutes after she had arrived at the baggage carousel her bag came up on the conveyor belt, leaving her only to tackle the matter of getting a rental car, which didn't take long at all. _Wow…less than a half hour? That's a new record!_ A small chuckle escaped her lips as she unlocked the car and put her bag in the back seat, taking off to the arena shortly after.

Isabelle had just finished parking in the employee parking lot when her cell phone began to ring. She looked at the phone in surprise, not expecting to hear Vickie's ringtone. _Déjà vu, man._

"Hello?"

"Hey Belle, how was the flight? Are you on your way to the arena?"

"The flight was okay. I'm actually parking right now; I should be in there in a few minutes."

"Oh, that's good. I actually wanted to meet with you a bit before Teddy starts giving you stuff to do." A momentary confusion hit Isabelle.

"Didn't you start with RAW already? OH! Wow, that sounded so mean. I'm sorry, what I meant was…"

Vickie was laughing on the other end. "Don't worry about it, Belle. I know exactly what you meant. And I start later tonight. My flight is leaving at about 3:30. But anyway, come and meet me in my office. Just ask security where it is." Isabelle maneuvered out of the car, making sure to put on the locks before closing the door. "And don't worry, I told them I was expecting you."

"Okay, Vic. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Inside the arena, Isabelle decided to stop off at the bathroom and make sure that she looked okay for her impromptu meeting with Vickie. As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, she stared at herself for a long time, half not believing how much she'd changed in such a short period of time, and half making sure that she looked presentable.

That morning, she had chosen to wear a white, short sleeved business shirt that had a pinstripe vest over it and matching black pinstripe pants with some black pumps. Her long, auburn hair had been straightened and it now fell in one huge wave around her face and down her back. Quickly, Isabelle ran her hands through the auburn wave, getting out the few tangles that had formed on the flight, and she peered into the mirror for one last time. Her deep cerulean blue eyes, which contrasted against her deep mocha skin tone, were shining with a new emotion—excitement. _Okay, Belle. Time to go out there, and do what you do best_, she told herself as she strode out of the bathroom and made her way to Vickie's office.

After about five minutes of walking, Isabelle found Vickie's office, which had multiple voices coming from the inside, even with the door closed. She gently tapped on the door and stepped inside after hearing Vickie call out, "Come on in!"

"There you are! I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost," Vickie said, with a laugh. She stood and came around her desk, giving Isabelle a quick hug. "And of course you remember Vince," she said, pointing out the older man sitting on Isabelle's immediate left. Isabelle shot him a radiant smile as she stepped over to Vince and embraced him.

"Of course I remember Vince! The day I forget Vince is the day hell freezes over!" she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"You better believe it, kid," he rumbled with his trademark McMahon gruffness. When Isabelle looked back at his face though, he had a look on his face of fatherly affection. Considering that he usually only reserved that look for Stephanie, she was deeply touched.

Just as she stepped back to sit in a chair that Vickie had beckoned her into, the door opened and her future boss, Teddy Long walked in. "Ah! The man of the hour--" started Vickie, but she stopped midsentence, realizing what she had said. She glanced at Vince, who had put on a serious face. For a minute, all was quiet, but Vince began to chuckle and Vickie knew it was safe to continue. "—has arrived! Good to see you, Teddy."

"The pleasure is mine, Vickie. Good morning, Mr. McMahon," Teddy said, grasping Vickie's hand, and then Vince's. He then turned to Isabelle, while addressing Vickie. "So, Vickie…I'm assuming this beautiful young woman is the supernova assistant that I've been told wonders of." Isabelle fought the blush that was slowly creeping up her cheeks and grasped his hand, which he held outstretched to her.

"Mr. Long, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Isabelle Gutierrez, at your service," she said trying to keep her newfound excitement at bay. She smiled at him as she shook his hand.

"Now, now, none of this 'Mr. Long' business. To you, it's 'Teddy,' okay? It's nice to have you back with the WWE, Ms. Gutierrez. Vickie has told me many good things about you, and I hope she was right on each one," he said, a smile on his face and in his voice.

"You got it, Teddy. And please, call me Isabelle."

For the next 20 minutes, Isabelle was re-briefed on the current storylines, given a list of calls to make regarding travel arrangements for her and Teddy for the next few shows, and given a list of things that would be delivered to Teddy's office later that day that she needed to be on the lookout for. Finally, Vince put a stop to the talking. "Teddy, let's go down to catering. I'm in desperate need of a coffee—''he started, and motioned for Isabelle to sit down, as she had started to rise to get the coffee. "And I wanted to go with you to Creative to discuss how you'll be debuting tonight on Smackdown! Let's leave the ladies for a minute or two," he said, rising from his chair, with the rest of them following suit. Teddy was the first to speak.

"Vickie, thank you for letting me be here for this meeting. Best of luck tonight on RAW," he said, grabbing her hand and giving it a quick shake before turning to Isabelle. "As for you, supernova, I can't wait to see some of your best work. Welcome back," he said, giving her a clap on the shoulder and a wink before turning and walking out. As soon as he left, Vince finished saying his goodbyes to Vickie and turned to focus on Isabelle.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you back with the WWE family, Isabelle. If you ever need anything, you know who to call," he said, pulling her in for a hug. "Just promise me one thing: no more running away," he whispered. Isabelle nodded into his shoulder, a muffled "I promise" coming from her. He pulled back from her. "I'll hold you to that. You need to show _everyone_ just how strong you can be!" he exclaimed, winking at her before turning and walking out.

When they were finally alone, Isabelle sat down in front of Vickie's desk. "Are you excited?" Vickie asked her. Isabelle nodded and smiled, but it was a nervous one that didn't reach her eyes, which Vickie noticed right away. "What's the matter? You're not going to bolt, are you?" Isabelle scowled immediately. "Sorry, sorry, just had to ask," said Vickie. "What's wrong?"

Isabelle's leg began to bounce ever so softly. "Well…I mean I know it will happen eventually. But I'm so afraid that he's going to realize, like today, that I'm here. And I don't know if I can handle it, and…" Vickie's eyes widened as a look of panic overtook Isabelle's features.

"Hey, hey, hey…listen…I have made it to where your return is just known to me, the McMahons, and Teddy. Everyone else is completely unaware of your presence. You should have some relative privacy. We'll try to keep you as elusive as possible." Isabelle shot her a questioning look, and Vickie nodded, indicating that Teddy _and_ Vince had been told her secret, which made her cringe inside. She steeled herself as Vickie continued. "But you're absolutely right, it will happen, probably sooner rather than later. With that said, you might want to tell a network of friends who can help you stay as elusive as possible."

Isabelle sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Vickie was right. She had originally planned (rather foolishly) to somehow remain "The No-Name Assistant," but that would be futile, mainly because gossip spread like wildfire in the WWE and she knew and loved too many people to stay away from them for too long. Plus, Isabelle knew that staying anonymous in this organization via upper level management was too taxing, both for her and management. Lord knew how many hurdles Vickie and the McMahons were going through to keep it as quiet as possible, and suddenly, Isabelle felt very, very selfish. "Vic…I just…" She reached out to Vickie. "I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. I know most employers wouldn't do this, and…"

Vickie held up a hand to stop her. "Vince and I aren't typical employers. And besides," she said, grasping her hand and squeezing it lightly, "You're not just an employee. You're family. And family helps family, no matter what." Isabelle smiled at her, grateful for her understanding.

"Wow…is it really that late?" Vickie wondered aloud as she glanced at the clock on the computer screen in front of her.

"Why? What time is it?" Isabelle asked, going behind the desk where Vickie was to take a look at the computer clock. She gasped. "Oh my gosh!! I should get to Teddy's office…wouldn't want him thinking I'm a slacker!" She straightened up and hugged Vickie, who had stood up. "Promise you'll come by Teddy's office later and say goodbye, ok?" she said. Vickie nodded in agreement, and Isabelle raced out of her office towards Teddy's.

Two hours. That's how long Isabelle had been sitting in Teddy's office after running from Vickie's. In that time, she'd already made all of the phone calls to assure her and Teddy's transportation for the next few shows, and a few of the things (notably, not the most important things) that needed to be delivered had been brought to the office. Once or twice, Teddy had come in to check on her, but most of the time he was in last minute meetings, so it was just her and the four walls of the office. She had tried going with him, but he had told Isabelle that since already knew the gist of the meetings he was attending today, he didn't need her there and would much rather that she 'hold down the fort' and get those phone calls and deliveries taken care of or tucked away, however each applied.

Isabelle had just finished sending off an email to Human Resources regarding the activation of her corporate account and was just about to send off another email to Bernadette letting her know that she had arrived safely, when a knock came at the door. Before she had a chance to deny or allow the knocker entrance, the door opened and a man entered.

"Hey, Teddy, I ran into Tom from production, who asked me if I could run these over here. He said he's sorry he couldn't bring them over, but he had to…" he started, stopping short as he realized that he was not talking to Teddy, but rather to a woman who had her face partially hidden behind a laptop screen. "Oh…sorry; I totally need to work on my observational skills." He held his hand over the desk, near the face-shielding screen. "I'm…"

Isabelle shifted the office chair she was sitting in slightly to the right, revealing her face. "I know exactly who you are, Chavito," she said, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

**A/N: AHA! Now we're getting to the action. How will Chavo react?? Chapter 5 will be up soon! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW....*innocent look* Pwease?**


	5. Chavito's Realization

**Author's Note: Hello again, dear readers! I am sooooo sorry that this took so long, but combine school with a major bout of writers block, and this is what you get. Please stay with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, please be advised that since the timeline for these events has happened SO long ago, don't be surprised if later on in the story, things seem a bit out there, although not by too much. *DISCLAIMER: I don't own anybody except my original characters; WWE has trademark over in ring names and everybody owns themselves.* Please Read and Review...they keep the creative Juices Flowing!**

Chavo stared back at her, his eyes narrowed in confusion. He knew that sometimes Vince hired people that turned out to be more star struck than the actual fans that they dealt with on a daily basis. But to hire someone who was that unprofessional, acting as though she knew him? It was unbelievable. His eyes remained narrowed, and a scowl formed on his face. He was trying to figure out what to say. Should he dismiss it and just warn her to work on her professionalism or should he chew her out on the spot?

Isabelle kept smiling at him. _I can't believe it; he doesn't recognize me. Guess I did a good job of changing my image_ she thought. She stood, making her way around the desk and smiling at him. Before Chavo could say anything, she chuckled, making him cock his head. Why did that sound so familiar?

"Wow, Dalí…I don't know whether to be happy that I did a good job in changing my image, or offended. I mean come on, I've only been gone for a little bit!" she said, calling him by his nickname, which she'd christened him with when he'd presented her with a replica of the melting clock painting by Salvador (his first name) Dalí on her birthday. Crossing her arms, she smirked at him, amusement coursing through her as something clicked inside Chavo's mind. The look on his face as the dawn of realization hit him was priceless. For a moment, all he did was blink, and then, he nearly brought her to the floor as he hit her full force with a mammoth hug.

"Oh my God, _hermanita_…You're here! You're…I can't believe it! Why didn't you call me, damn it? How are you? Wow, Florida did you good…Jesus Christ, I can't believe how much you've changed and how fast!" he said in a rush of words, not wanting to let go of the woman he considered his little sister. After a few minutes, he finally let her go, taking in all of her. He couldn't believe she was standing in front of him. After what had happened, he never thought he'd see her again, and he was overjoyed. Overjoyed, but confused.

"I missed you too, Chavito," Isabelle said with a small laugh as she regained her composure. She tried hard not to cry as she smoothed her shirt. "I'm so sorry I didn't keep in touch…it was just so much and I didn't know what to say…" she said, trailing off as she struggled to keep her voice level. Chavo shook his head, as if to show that none of that mattered.

"Considering that you're here, and you've given me the best surprise in the world, I guess I can forgive you," he said with a chuckle. After a few moments, he grew quiet and looked her over again. "Now, Belle…don't take this the wrong way but…why are you here? In Teddy's office, no less?"

Isabelle fought the urge to fidget. _That's not you anymore; just tell him. _"I…work here. As Teddy's personal assistant."

Chavo's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean you work here? I thought you never wanted to be back here again?"

"I didn't. But let's just say that your aunt is a VERY persistent lady."

At this, Chavo looked more directly at Isabelle. "She didn't!" he said, a sly smirk crossing his features. "She told me that she was going to go to Orlando, swore that she'd get you back. But she's been saying that ever since the day you left. But since she didn't after the first couple of weeks, I just shrugged it off. I never thought she'd actually pull it off. I am shocked."

"You think _you _are? Imagine how shocked I was when I got the phone call!" Isabelle said, with a chuckle. Chavo laughed with her, and after a few moments, he got serious again. "Does anyone else know you're here?" he asked, with an emphasis on 'anyone.' She knew he what he was really asking her is if Adam knew she was back as well. Isabelle shook her head. "Aside from the McMahons, Vickie, Teddy and you, no one else knows. Vickie told me that she would try to keep it under wraps for as long as she could but that it would be better if I had a network of friends that knew…for my own sanity, I guess," she said. Chavo nodded in understanding. "So who should know?" he asked.

Isabelle wanted to laugh, but she held it back. Chavo knew just as well as anybody that she had made very few friends in her time with the WWE. And most of the friends she did have were the male wrestlers; the Divas had never really wanted anything to do with her, except for Lisa, but she was gone now. "Who do you think?" she said. Chavo held up his hands. "Hey, just checking. Wouldn't want too many people to know and then it gets back to Adam…sooner than it has to, anyway."

Isabelle stopped short. "A very valuable point, Chavito. Here we go," she said, writing out a quick list on a pad.

__________

Chavo made his way down the hallway to the male locker room, trying to keep himself cool and collected. Discretion was key here; one false move could arouse suspicion. Finally reaching the door he needed, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and entered.

The locker room was relatively not crowded, seeing as how today was not a show day. If anybody was in the locker room, or the arena in general, it was to rehearse or hang out before doing appearances or to film promos. Several heads looked up, trying to see who had entered. One of these heads was that of Adam, who scowled at him. Chavo, not to be outdone, scowled back. _Focus, _he said to himself, and quickly got back to the whole reason why he was in the locker room to begin with. He began to scan the room looking for one person in particular.

"Hardy," he said, causing the younger of the two brothers to look at him, a surprised expression on his face. He had not been paying attention when Chavo walked in, and was startled to hear his name.

"What's up?" he asked, noticing something the tiniest bit off with Chavo.

"Where's your brother at? You're both needed in Teddy's office for a moment."

Jeff shrugged his shoulders. "Last time I checked, he was going to catering. But I thought that he and I had already gone over everything with Teddy and your aunt for the storyline."

Chavo was about to tell him that it had nothing to do with the storyline, but he suddenly realized that would get tongues wagging. "Teddy just wants you guys to do a final run. You know how thorough he is, and he's hell-bent on making sure that we have a hitch free show tomorrow. Can we go find him?" Jeff nodded, walking out of the locker room with Chavo behind him.

The walk down to catering was a quick and silent one. The only thing shorter than the walk was how long it took to find Matt. As soon as he was spotted at a table not too far from the entrance, Chavo let Jeff go get his brother, indicating to him that he needed to hurry himself and his brother up. Jeff, meanwhile, forced Matt to leave half his sandwich behind knowing that Chavo was just itching to get back to Teddy's. Sandwich abandoned, Matt and Jeff made their way back to the office with Chavo, who seemed to be moving faster now that they were walking back.

"What's with him?" whispered Matt to his brother as they strode to keep up with Chavo.

"You noticed it, too?" questioned Jeff. "Beats me. He just went into the locker room and asked me for you. Said something about a final double check of what's going down tonight. But something's up." Matt nodded. "Should we ask him?"

"Ask me what?" said Chavo, hearing this last bit from Jeff.

"Well…" Jeff tried not to kick himself. He hated being put on the spot in situations such as this. "I don't know man, you seem a little…not yourself at the moment. Is something up?" he asked, moving to walk next to Chavo.

"Nah…nothing's up. We just need to get there soon." Chavo's cell phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket, trying to keep the screen out of Hardy's sight as he opened it. There was a text from Belle reading, _Where are you, in the middle of Alaska?_ He chuckled, and typed back _Oh, hush, we're two doors down. Get ready, _quickly closing his phone and putting it back in his pocket before Jeff or Matt, who had now begun to walk next to Jeff, got a chance to see it.

"What's with all the secrecy, then?" asked Matt.

Chavo ignored this as he tapped on the door of their destination. None of them heard a "come in," from within, but Chavo opened the door anyway, and led Matt and Jeff inside. Both Hardy's looked around, but they didn't see Teddy. All they saw was a woman who was standing in front of Teddy's desk.

"You made us rush over here for a woman?" Matt asked, still upset that his break was interrupted and that he was duped into thinking there was an urgent matter at hand. He honestly looked like he was going to slap the silly out of Chavo.

"Yeah, man. And here you had me wasting my time for nothing," said Jeff.

"Well, what else would you have been doing, Nero," Isabelle questioned, using her Spanish pronunciation for Jeff's nickname. "Messaging Beth?"

Jeff locked her in a gaze, thinking about what she'd just said. Meanwhile, Isabelle turned to Matt. "And before you kill Chavo, just know he was operating on my behalf. I mean, I had to get you up here without the whole brand knowing why."

"But why would you need us? Who…"

Jeff cut Matt off, finally putting two and two together in his head. He practically lunged toward Isabelle, gripping her in a tight hug. "Jesus Christ! What are you doing here, baby girl?" he asked her, lifting her off her feet as he hugged her. Chavo smiled, relieved that at least one of the Hardy's had recognized her.

Jeff finally let her go, and she stared at Matt, realizing that it was taking him forever to recognize her. "Ay, come on, Mateo…It's only been two months, man!" she exclaimed. "Ay, what a _tontito_ we have here," she said. With that, it clicked. "Oh my God. Isabelle? Is that really you?" he asked, looking her over before (as the others had before him) wrapping her in a hug. When Matt finally released her from the vice-like grip he had her in, Isabelle was met with the inquiring face of Jeff.

"So answer us, baby girl. What are you doing here? And why all the secrecy?"

Isabelle took a deep breath. It seemed that telling Matt and Jeff was harder than it had been telling Chavo. Perhaps it had been easier with Chavo because he hadn't suspected anything; perhaps his complete and utter cluelessness over the matter had caused the question to be more buffered and thereby not give her this much nervousness. Her stomach churned, and for a moment, she feared for everyone in the room. She fought off the urge to bolt from the room and unsteadily met his gaze.

"I have officially rejoined the staff of the WWE as Teddy Long's assistant."

______________

Jeff and Matt shared a look. Finally, after a rather long silence, Jeff spoke. "I thought you said you would never set foot in here again, Belle."

"That I did," she responded. "But feelings change."

Matt immediately hit her with a sharp look. "What do you mean 'feelings change'?" he asked her. Jeff shot him a warning glance, as did Chavo, but it didn't work. He fixed her with a penetrating iron glare, daring her to say she'd had a change of heart over Adam. Matt, as well as the other two men in the room, had seen what happened to Isabelle at Adam's hands. More importantly, he had been a part of similar destruction several years ago when Amy cheated on him with Adam.

Before the incident with Isabelle, the two men had buried hatchet and had even regained some of their once close friendship. After what had happened to Isabelle, the hatchet was unearthed again. He hated Adam even more than he had back then; he saw his own pain from years ago raised twofold in Isabelle's eyes, and to top it off, she couldn't come back from the brink that he himself had teetered on. Despite his, Jeff's, Chavo's and even Beth's best efforts, Isabelle had packed her bags and run. Could her feelings for that bastard be coming back? The very thought scared Matt to no end.

Isabelle grabbed Matt's shoulders, and met his gaze head on. "I know what you're thinking, Mateo. And no, I'm not here for him. I came back for my own reasons, one being that I missed this." She shifted her gaze to Jeff and Chavo. "I missed you."

Chavo's curiosity had been peaked. "What were the other reasons?" he asked. Isabelle shifted, and the three men looked expectantly at her. For a moment, it looked like she would say something, but her eyes shone with something—could it be fear? Then, as quickly as the unidentified emotion had found its way into her eyes, it was gone. "You'll know soon enough," she responded, smiling.

The three men stared at each other, unsure of what to make of their friend's response. This was new territory to them; Isabelle had never kept anything from them, at least not since she'd gotten close to them. _So _this_ is what it feels like to be left out of Isabelle's loop _mused Chavo. _Now I understand what Vickie felt when Isabelle and I kept things from her._ Jeff was the first to break the silence.

"Well baby doll, I don't want to cut this short, but Matt and I have some training to do, and then I have some things to take care of. But I will definitely be in later to see you, ok?" They hugged one more, as did she and Matt shortly after. Then it was just her and Chavo in Teddy's office.

"So how does it feel to be back home?" Chavo asked her. Isabelle cocked her head to one side and glanced around the office. After a moment, she sighed. "It's a mixed bag. Part of me just wants to turn and run for the hills. But there's another part of me that loves being back here."

"Well…let's hope it's that part that makes your decisions," Chavo said, quickly avoiding a smack from Isabelle. "Hey, hey! I'm just kidding." She huffed at him, not wanting to deal with his sarcasm. "Anyway, mama, I have to go help Vickie finish getting ready to leave tonight. Are you staying at the same hotel as we are?" he asked, referring to himself, Matt, and Jeff. Isabelle suddenly realized that she hadn't made any hotel arrangements. She chuckled to herself, and glanced up at him.

"And what hotel, exactly, would that be?" she asked, trying to control her laughter. Chavo stared at her incredulously.

"You mean to tell me you didn't make arrangements for yourself?" he asked her, sounding as though he didn't believe her.

"That's exactly what I mean. I was in such a rush to get packed and everything that I completely forgot to make arrangements."

Chavo chuckled. "Are you sure my aunt made the right choice bringing you back? Seems like you lost your touch, mama," he said, avoiding yet another swat from Isabelle.

"Write down the name of the hotel where you guys are at, and as soon as that's done, get the hell out of this office, you meanie!" she said with a laugh. She went back around the desk, sitting behind the computer as she had when Chavo had first burst in on her. Chavo grabbed a pen and pad from the desk and began to scrawl the information on the pad.

"You know I don't mean anything by it, mama. I'm really glad to have you back here. And I don't think you could ever lose your touch." He handed her the pad, and went around to where she was seated, leaning down to give her a hug. "I love you, girl. See you later, okay?"

Isabelle nodded, returning the hug. "I'll text you when all the arrangements are made, okay?"

Chavo nodded as he turned and retreated from the office. Once he had left, Isabelle sighed and set to work on finding a room at the hotel. After a few keystrokes on the computer, she managed to locate the hotel's website. As the page loaded, she let out a sigh. _Today has been chaos. And it's only my first day…Lord only knows how much chaos there will be when it's a NORMAL day on Smackdown!_


End file.
